Island



.i. O. FULLER.

SPORE TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.25, 1921'.

Patented NOVQS, 1921.

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Af/ome y .l. 0. FULLER.

SPORE TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.25, 1921.

1,396,568. Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

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, s i M7 18 I lnvenfor 7 98 f w Affomey UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH O. FULLER, F PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

SPORE-TRAP.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH O. FULLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spore- Traps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a device for antomatica-lly exposing sensitized plates to the atmosphere.

It has heretofore been customary to manually expose sensitized plates to the atmos phere for a definite prolonged period at different times during the day in order to determine the relative profusion of spores in the atmosphere during the several periods.

The essential objects of my invention are to automatically expose in succession each of a series of plates for a definite prolonged period; to insure a uniform period of exposure for each plate; to enable the determination of the hour of the day the exposure of any given plate occurred; to shift the succeeding plates instantaneously and completely at the end of each period of exposure in order that the spore record of each period shall be distinct and accurate; to prevent the exposure of more than a single plate at a time; to facilitate the mounting or removal of the plates; to conveniently and portably house the device; and to actuate the carrler by a compact and accurately operating mechanism.

To the above ends essentially my invention relates to such parts and to such combinations of parts as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification and which illustrate the principle of this invention in the best mode now known to me of applying that principle,

Fi re 1 is a plan view of my trap with the c oor thrown back,

Fig. 2, a front elevation of the same,

Fig. 3, a plan view" of the same with the cover section thrown back,

Figs. 4 and 5, partial sections on lines 4-4 and 5-5 respective] of Fig. 1,

Fig. 6, a plan view of t e operating mechanism,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 25, 1921.

Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

Serial No. 495,443.

Figs. 7, 8, and 9, like views of the same in different stages of operation,

Fig. 10, a partial section on line 10 of Fig. 9, and

Fig. 11, a plan view of the operating mechanism with the top plate removed.

Like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the views.

In the present and preferred embodiment of my invention a rectangular outer casing comprises a body section and a cover section 16 connected by hinges 17. The cover has an opening 20 in which registers a door 21 engaged by ahinge 22 to the remainder of the cover.

The base 24 of the body section has preferably hinges 25 at one end engaging a side wall of the section. Pins 26 and 27 in the cover and base respectively are engageable with hooks 28 and 29 pivotally attached by pins 30 and 31 on a side wall opposite the rst mentioned wall. A pin 34 in the door 21 is engagea-ble by a hook 35 pivoted on a pin 36 in the cover. A handle 38 is pivoted in attaching plates 39 in the front wall of the body. Fast to the side walls of the body section are cleats 41 resting upon which, or detachably engaged thereto by screws or in any convenient manner, is a horizontal partition or mounting board 42 which constitutes for operative purposes a part of the body section.

Fast to the top of the partition 42 by screws 44 or otherwise is the base 45 of an internally threaded hollow post 48 in which is a screw 49 whose head 50 loosely rests in an internal annular recess 51 in a sleeve 52 journaled on the post and provided with a flange 53 resting on the'base 45. Fast to the sleeve 52 is a gear Rigid with the sleeve above the gear is a carrier comprising a circular plate or disk 57.

Fast to the top face of the disk are aseries of radially arranged guides 59, in this instance twelve in number, of T shaped cross section, comprising vertical walls supporting flanges 61. The areas of the disk between the guides form seats 62 for segmental shaped glass plates 63 provided with sensitized upper faces and which are slidable into their seats with their sides in contact with the guide walls 60 and overinggear 95.

the escapement shaft mounted in the plates lapped by the flanges 61. For retaining the slides against accidental escape, if desired, are spring clips, in this instance twelve in number, disposed radially intermediate the guides. Each clip comprises a flat resilient arm 66 with its inner end face fastened by solder or otherwise to the under face of the dlsk, and having upon 1ts outer end an up turned finger 67 adapted to normally abut against the end of an adjacent plate 63, and terminating in a lateral projection or finger piece 68. By downwardly pressing the piece 68 the plate maybe inserted or withdrawn from its seat. 7

Fastened to the inner face of the cover section byscrews 70 or otherwise is a plate 71 provided with a segmental opening 72 bounded by a segmentalflange 74. The opening 72.is of the shape and dimensionsof a seat 62, and the depth of the flange is such that when the cover section is closed the edge of the flange is in slidable contact with or adjacent to the flange 61. y Depending from the board 42 is a. frame 76 comprising an upper plate 77 and a lower plate 78 connected by corner posts 79. Upon the plate 77 are attaching lugs 80 with holes 81 to receive screws 82 whichjengage the frame with the under'face of the board. In this instance the frame is inclosedtby a cylindrical housing 83 having" a closed bottom and open top attached to the frame or board in any convenient manner. Herein an in turned lntermittent flange 84 upon the top of the side wall 85 of the housing is slidably' engaged by the heads of screws 87 annularly disposed in the board 42. Journal'edfin the plates of the frame 76 isanoperating' shaft 89 extending through a hole 90 inthe' board, fast to the upper end of whichis a pinion 91 meshing with the gear" 55.

Through this shaft the carrier 57 is rotated. step by step one twelfth of arevolution at the end of each and every hour. Each complete revolution of the shaft the carrier disk one step.

The mechanism for operating. this shaft may be of any construction best adapted for.

imparting thereto a revolution fat the end of a determinate p'eriod, in this instance one The form of operatlng mechanism herein shown COIlSlStS'Of a special clock work hour.

mechanism, comprising a timing train or clock train having a key stem 93 joiirnaled in the plates carrying the spring 94 and driv- 96 is the hour shaft, 1 and 97 and carrying the escapement wheel -98. Stems 96 and 97 are rotatedfrom shaft'93 by suitable intermediate gearing. 'Tl1egear engages lantern wheel 100 on shaft '96.

Gear 101 on the latter engages lantern wheel 89 advances shaft 108 carrying gear 109. The latter engages lantern wheel 110 on the shaft 97. The balance, wheel 112 ona shaft 113 in the frames carries a balance spring 114 and is operatively connected with the wheel 98 through pin 115 engaging the lever 116 fast to shaft 117, and through pallet 118 fast to said shaft, as usual in timing mechanisms.

The shaft 89 is directly driven through a gear train including a key shaft 120 and operating spring 121. The shaft 120 carries a gear 122 engaging a lantern wheel 123 on shaft 124. The latter carries a pinion 125 meshing with a pinion 127 fast to shaft 89. 1n order to prevent racing of the shaft 89 a pallet 128 fast to a shaft :129'engages the teeth o'fa wheel 131 on shaft 124. Fast to the shaft129 is a counter-weight 133.

The shaft 89 is governed b y the hour shaft 96 by the following controlling device. Each of the screws or pins 135 and 136 in the plate 77 have washers or spacing pieces 139, 140, and 141. Upon thewashers 139, resting directly on the plate, is a locking or controller plate 142 having oblong longitudinal slots 143 to loosely receive the screws. This plate has upon one side three lateral fingers 144, 145, and 146. The finger 145 has a lateral shoulder 147 Another looking or controller plate 148' restsnpon the washers 140 above the plate 142 and has? oblong longitudinal slots 149 to loosely receive the screws. This plate has 'a lateral finger 150 provided with an enlarged rectangular head or end portion 151 forming opposite shoulders 1521and 153. The washers 141 rest on this plate beneath theheads of the screws 135 and 136. Both plates are .longitudinally reciprocable by cams. Upon the shaft 89 is .a cam 155 in the form of a sleeve with a lateral longitudinally disposedbeal': 156 engageable with the shoulders 147 and'1'52. The shaft 96 carries a cam 158 'engageab'le solely with the finger 146. Above this. is a second cam 160 upon the same shaft. This cam has an angular recess 161 in its periphery forming a rounded shoulder 162 and a planeshoulder 163.

The operation ofthe controlling device is as follows: Thefcarri'er 57' has completed an advance, after which the parts are as shown in 7. The beak 156 of the cam 155 presses down against the shoulder 147 of the lower platefand the shoulder. 163 of the cam 160 engages the shoulder 153 of the upper plate. As the latter cam, which makes a complete revolution in one hour, moves to the position shown in Fig. 8 the shoulder 162 forces the u'pper plate to'the left bringing the shoulder 152 beneath the beak 156 In Fig. 9 the cam 158 has by its engagement with thefinger 146 forcedthe shoulder 147 out of engagement with the beak 156 allowinggthe beak to come into engagement with the shoulder 152. The

plates retain the positions shown during nearly the whole of the remainder of the revolution of the cam 160. In Fig. 6 is shown the position of the parts at this instant. At all times the finger 150 or its head 151 is being forced against the cam 160 by a contractile spring 165 attached at one end to a screw 167 in an intermediate portion of the plate 148, and at its other end to the screw 136. The instant the cam completes its revolution, passing from the position shown in Fig. 6 to that in Fig. 7 the spring forces the plate 148 to the right and releases the cam beak 156, whereupon the shaft 89 is instantaneously completely revolved by the spring 121 in the direction of the arrow and again rests on the shoulder 147.

During the described instant revolution of the shaft 89, its beak contacted with the finger 1 14 and returned the plate 142 to the position which it occupied prior to the action of the cam 15S thereon. This revolution of shaft 89 rotates the carrier 57 at the end of the hour to a position one twelfth in advance of its original position. It will be noted that the described shift of positions involves no appreciable time, which is an important desideratum and fulfils one of the purposes declared in the preamble.

I claim 1. In a spore trap, a casing, a disk rotatably mounted in the casing provided with radially disposed seats, said casing being provided with an exposure opening above the seats, and means for rotating the disk.

2. In a spore trap, a casing, a disk rotatably mounted in the casing, radially disposed guides on the disk, and means for rotating the disk.

3. In a spore trap, a rotatable disk, radially disposed guides on the disk, clips on the margin of the disk between the guides, and means for rotating the disk.

4. In a spore trap, a rotatable disk, radially disposed guides on the disk, sensitized plates slidably mounted on the disk between the guides, and means for rotating the disk.

5. In a spore trap, a casing, a disk rotatably mounted in the casing, radial guides on the disk, said casing being provided with an exposure opening above the disk, a flange in the casing bounding the opening adapted to register with two adjacent guides, and means for rotating the disk.

6. In a spore trap, a casing comprising a body, a top cover provided with an exposure opening, a cover for the opening mounted on the first cover. and a horizontal partition in the body, a disk rotatably mounted on the partition provided with radially disposed seats movable in alinement with the opening, and means for rotating the disk.

7. In a spore trap, a casing comprising a body. a top cover provided with an exposure opening, a bottom cover, and a partition in the body, a carrier disk rotatably supported on the partition below the opening, and mechanism for driving the disk fast to the bottom of the partition.

8. In a spore trap, a casing provided with an exposure opening, a disk rotatably mounted in the casing below the opening, radially disposed seats on the disk adapted to successive register with the opening, and means for intermittently rotating the disk.

9. In a spore trap, a casing provided with an exposure opening, a partition in the casing, a shaft rotatably supported on the easing, a carrier disk fast to the shaft below the exposure opening, a gear fast to the shaft, a frame fast to the partition, an operating shaft journaled in the frame, a pinion on the operating shaft meshing with the gear, and mechanism in the frame for driving the operating shaft.

10. In a spore trap, a casing provided with an exposure opening, a partition in the easing, a post on the partition, a tubular shaft loose on the post, a carrier disk fast to the shaft movable transversely of the opening, a gear on the shaft, a frame on the partition, an operating shaft mounted in the frame. a pinion on the operating shaft engaging the gear. and mechanism in the frame for imparting step by step movement to the operating shaft.

11. In a spore trap, a rotatable carrier disk, mechanism operable to impart continuous movement to said carrier, and means automatically operable to intermittently stop the carrier driving action of said mechanism.

12. In a spore trap, a rotatable carrier disk, mechanism operable to impart continuous movement to said carrier, and timed means for intermittently checking the driving action of said mechanism. if

13. In a spore trap, a rotatable disk, an operating shaft therefor, gear mechanism operable to drive the shaft. an hour shaft, gear mechanism operable to drive the hour shaft, a stop cam on the first shaft, a cam on the second shaft, and recipro iable locking plates actuated by the second cam for en gaging the stop cam.

14. In a spore trap, a rotatable carrier disk, twelve radial seats on the disk. an operating shaft for actuating the disk, a gear mechanism operable to drive the shaft. a clock train including an hour shaft, and means actuated by the hour shaft for locking the operating shaft during a comple e revolution of the hour shaft and then releasing the operating shaft.

15. In a spore trap, a rotatable carrier disk, an operating shaft therefor, a gear train including a spring operable to drive the shaft, a cam beak carried by the shaft, a clock train mechanism including an hour shaft, a cam provided with an acute recess on the hour shaft, a second cam on the hour shaft, a reciprocable locking plate adapted to engage and release the beak, and engage the recessed cam, a retractile spring for maintaining said plate in constant engagement With the recessed cam, and a second recipro cable locking plate actuated in one direction by contact with the beak, and moved in the other direction by contact with the second cam on the hour shaft.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

' JOSEPH O. FULLER. 

